If you are like the vast majority of homeowners, you place a lot of value on the lawn outside of your home. It is part of the “first impression” people get about your property, and it is a statement to the neighborhood about the level of care you put into it. Perhaps it is where your children or grandchildren spend Saturday afternoons playing outside, or where you grow a beautiful garden. Regardless of what you do with your lawn, it plays a large part in the presentation of your home.
A recent survey was done by the Harris Poll for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. They polled 2,034 U.S. adults and found that three quarters of respondents (75%) feel it is important to spend time outside and in their yards. The survey also found that 83% of Americans believe having a yard is important. Additionally, 90% of people who have a yard think it is important to keep it well maintained.
When searching for a new residence, many people take yards and lawns into consideration. 63% of people reported that they would be willing to pay more for an apartment or a house if it was in an area with beautiful green spaces. It was a greater consideration than other factors; 34% were more willing to pay for a location with good shopping, and 33% for good cultural values. Despite the benefit of these things, a well cared for outdoor area has a stronger pull.
Many homeowners take on landscaping projects to upgrade their outdoor spaces. After upgrades, lawns and yards are typically used for relaxing, gardening, and entertaining. Over half of homeowners spend six more hours outside per week after such changes. Most upgrade projects are focused on the backyard (64%). A large number (58%) are either substantial, such as paving, new flower beds, building or upgrading structures, or a complete overhaul. Just 29% of upgrades have to do with regrading, terracing, or re-landscaping. Of those who choose to add plants to their yards, most (92%) are selecting plants to that are native to their particular region. These plants are often easier to care for because they are suited to the region’s climate, and purchasing them from local nurseries supports the local economy.
Obviously, a large majority of homeowners see the benefit of having a great lawn. But they are not the only ones — real estate agents do too. When asked what are the top five home improvement recommendations for homeowners trying to sell their homes, a whopping 97% of real estate agents added landscaping to the list. The right landscape designs can lead to a 215% return on investment for a homeowner. That is incredible! A few other fun facts — Landscaping will likely lead to an increase property value, as much as 12%. Landscaping also increases a home?s resale value 14%. It’s been calculated that spending as little as 5% of your home?s value on landscaping may result in a return on investment of as much as 150%.
Because of this, almost 90% of real estate agents encourage their clients to invest in landscaping projects prior to listing their home for sale. Landscaping can decrease the length of time a home is on the market ?- sometimes by as much as six weeks. That can be a drastic difference for homeowners who are trying to quickly sell their home and focus on settling into their next home. A homeowner would be wise to follow the real estate agent’s advice and utilize a landscape designer to make the lawn even more eye catching and beautiful, which will get prospective buyers in the door faster.
As we have seen, taking care of your lawn and adding landscaping to your outdoor areas will give your home a great first impression to anyone who visits or passes by. You will be more likely to spend a greater amount of time outside with friends and family, enjoying your beautiful outdoor spaces. And lastly, it will greatly increase the property value of your home and help you to sell your home faster! Those are some pretty great benefits. If you are interested, here are some folks who would be more than happy to help you with your next landscaping project.